1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the treatment of sleep disordered breathing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Patients that suffer from sleep disordered breathing are typically treated with a Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) apparatus that provides a pressurized flow of breathing gas according to a predetermined mode of ventilation, such as continuous positive airway pressure, bi-level positive airway pressure, proportional positive airway pressure, and proportional assist ventilation, among others. The pressurized gas supports a patient's airway as the patient sleeps such that episodes of cessation of breathing that are associated with sleep disordered breathing are avoided, or during episodes associated other respiratory ailments.
Conventional PAP apparatuses generally enable the patient to control various aspects of operation of the apparatus related to the flow of breathing gas delivered by the apparatus during operation. For example, the patient may control a ramp setting, a pressure relief setting (i.e., C-Flex™), a humidifier setting, a temperature setting, an oxygen concentration level setting, an on/off control, or other settings or controls. However, the patient is usually required to input these settings and controls at an input module located on the portion of the apparatus that generates the flow of gas. This portion of the apparatus is generally a substantial piece of equipment that is not usually kept in bed with the patient during use. Consequently, to adjust one or more aspects of operation of the apparatus while in use (e.g., at night while the patient is sleeping), the patient, or another individual, must go to the portion of the apparatus that generates the flow of gas, locate the input module, and select the desired settings and/or controls. This makes the adjustment of the apparatus during use inconvenient and inefficient for the patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,975 to Estes et al. discloses that a remote control may be used by the patient to adjust one or more aspects of operation of a PAP apparatus. However, making adjustments with a remote control would still require the patient to locate the remote control, which may not be a trivial task due to the fatigue or sleepiness of the patient and/or the darkness of the room in which the patient is sleeping. Further, the remote control disclosed in the Estes patent may be subject to misplacement and loss by the patient.